Grow Your Own Wings
by traveleratheart
Summary: My own idea of how the Maleficent movie should continue. Maleficent and Aurora centered. Aurora grows and figures out her feelings for Maleficent. I own nothing. I have never written anything before except academic essays for school so I would love feedback on my writing. This has been un-Betad so any and all mistakes are mine and mine alone. Thanks in advance!
1. Chapter 1

Grow Your Own Wings

Chapter 1

As the sun set beyond the Moors, Maleficent sat under her great tree on the great cliff. A gentle breeze ruffled her wings and she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of the wind in her feathers. She felt at peace; content with her life for the first time in years.

A little way down the hill, a twig snapped. Maleficent knew without turning around that Aurora was climbing up to join her. While she waited for Aurora to reach the top, she thought about how much her life had changed since she brought Aurora to the Moors that first night. Against Maleficent's best efforts, Aurora managed to breach both the wall of thorns around the Moors and the wall around her heart.

"Rawk!" Diaval crowed a greeting to Aurora from his perch in the tree. This brought Maleficent out of her reverie and back to the present. She turned and smiled at Aurora.

"Hello Beastie." she said softly.

"Hello God-M-Maleficent." came the reply. "May I join you?"

"Of course." Maleficent raised her eyebrows slightly at Aurora calling her by her name, but said nothing.

Aurora sat in the grass next to her and let out a dejected huff.

"Something wrong?" Maleficent gave Aurora a questioning look as her prismatic eyes sought the answer in her companion's face.

"Yes, there is something wrong. Today I was crowned the queen of the Moors. Soon I am to be crowned queen of the human lands as well."

"And you will be a wonderful queen."

"That's the problem, Maleficent! I don't know how to be a queen. I don't know anything about anything!" Aurora put her face in her hands and shook her head. "Why do you think I will be a such good queen?"

Maleficent turned slightly to face Aurora. She reached out and gently pried her hands away from her face.

"Aurora, listen to me." When Aurora did not look up from the ground, Maleficent cupped her hand around Aurora's chin and turned her face until blue eyes stared directly into her own. "You will be a wonderful queen," she repeated "And here is why. You are kind; you are brave; you are loved by all who meet you; and you are not afraid."

Aurora smiled, remembering their first meeting when she said very similar words to the woman who sat beside her. "I suppose you're right Maleficent, but…" she hesitated.

"But what?"

"Becoming queen of the human lands means that I have to leave the Moors and you." she finished quietly, looking back at the ground.

"Oh, Aurora, the Moors will always be your home and I will always be here waiting when you come back. Your time in the human kingdom will not last forever, even if it will feel like it."

Aurora glanced up at the fairy, hearing the note of sadness in her voice when she mentioned their impending time apart. They both knew it would be a long time indeed before Maleficent stepped foot inside that castle again. Even if she did show up, its inhabitants weren't likely to be very welcoming after the death of the king. No, there was only one reason Maleficent would go anywhere near the castle and that reason was Aurora.

Maleficent noticed Aurora looking at her sadly so she reached out her arm and wing, a wordless invitation for the girl to lean in closer. Aurora scooted over into the fairy's arms and rested her head on Maleficent's shoulder. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. She felt the warmth radiating from Maleficent's wing. She reached out and started stroking the feathers absent-mindedly.

"I love your wings. They're so beautiful." Aurora murmured.

"Mmm." Maleficent hummed in agreement. "I have you to thank for them. If you had not freed them from that case, we would never have made it out of the castle alive. You saved us."

They both fell silent, thinking about that day. Aurora thought about how close Maleficent had come to dying and shuddered. She snaked her hand around the fairy's back and squeezed tightly. Maleficent rested her head on top of Aurora's and they sat there for a long time, enjoying the fact that they were both alive and together. After a while, Aurora broke the silence. "I know what you said."

"I have said many things Beastie. You will have to be more specific." Maleficent replied with a hint of laughter. Aurora smiled and looked up at her.

"I know what you said to me while I slept. And I know that it was you who awakened me with true love's kiss." she said quietly

Maleficent froze, the laughter in her eyes faded, replaced with wariness.

"Oh? Who told you?"

Aurora frowned slightly, confused by the change in the woman next to her.

"Diaval told me as soon as we got back to the Moors. He said that I deserved to know and he wasn't sure when you would be able to talk about it."

"Is that so?" Maleficent shot a withering glare up at Diaval, who had the good sense to fly higher into the tree and hide behind a clump of leaves.

"Don't be upset Maleficent, I'm glad he told me." Aurora responded defiantly.

"You are?" Maleficent looked down at Aurora, unable to quite believe what she just heard.

"Yes, I am. And...well…" Aurora trailed off, nervousness creeping into her voice for the first time.

"And?"

"AndIloveyoutoo" Aurora let out with a nervous whoosh of air. Maleficent simply stared at her, eyes wide.

"You what?"

Aurora took a deep calming breath, looked Maleficent dead in the eyes, and repeated.

"I love you too."

Before Maleficent had a chance to react, Aurora stretched up and kissed her softly on the cheek. She shot to her feet and turned to face away from the blue-eyed gaze she loved so. Aurora scrambled to her feet, suddenly terrified that she had alienated the one person she loved most in the world.

"M-Maleficent? I'm sorry if I upset you. Please don't turn away from me. Please forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive. You have not upset me." Maleficent's voice came out shaky and strained. She turned to face Aurora once more and Aurora saw that while there were tears quietly streaming down her angular face, she was smiling. "On the contrary, Beastie. You have made me very happy."

Maleficent swooped down and gathered Aurora in her arms. They stood there together, savoring the moment, until Maleficent whispered, "Hold on tight Aurora."

She unfurled her powerful wings, gave one massive pump and they were airborne. They soared above the clouds and hovered in the headwinds before plummeting back down toward the cliff. Aurora laughed joyfully as her heart and her stomach did somersaults that were not entirely due to the flight. Maleficent slowed their descent until they gently landed in the tree hammock. She laid back, stretched out her wings, and stared up at the stars that peeked through the leaves. Aurora curled up next to her, using and arm and a wing as a pillow. "Thank you for taking me flying. It was incredible."

"You're welcome." Maleficent reached up and ran her long fingers through golden curls. Aurora sighed happily and slowly drifted to sleep. Maleficent continued to lay there, wide awake, trying to figure out how she had gotten so lucky. When she thought for sure that Aurora was asleep, she placed a kiss on the top of her head and whispered "Good night Beastie."

"Good night Maleficent." Aurora mumbled sleepily. Maleficent smiled, closed her eyes, and soon they were both fast asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"RAWK! RAWK!" Diaval croaked loudly, trying to wake the two heavy sleepers. He swooped and dove around their heads, stopping just short of pecking them.

"I think Diaval is trying to get our attention." Aurora mumbled thickly.

"So it would seem." Maleficent rolled over to face Diaval, who, seeing that they were finally awake, settled on a sturdy branch to await his transformation. She waved her hand, golden magic floating from her fingertips and said "Into a man."

Immediately Diaval changed into his human form, the branch under him creaking with the sudden weight.

"Well? What is it that you want Diaval? I assume there is a very good reason for waking us so early." Maleficent pinned him with an expectant and somewhat grumpy stare.

"There is, mistress. A delegation of humans from the castle is at the border of the Moors. They are here to escort Aurora back to the human kingdom."

"Oh." Maleficent gave Diaval a crestfallen look before turning to Aurora, who still lay curled in the hammock staring dejectedly at them both in response to the news. She slowly sat up, brushed her blonde hair out of her face, and reached out to grab Maleficent's hand. Her fingers curled around the fairy's, who squeezed tightly in return.

"What are your orders, mistress?" Diaval asked.

"You do not take orders from me any longer Diaval. Ask your queen." she responded, looking off towards the border.

Diaval looked over at Aurora expectantly. She narrowed her eyes in concentration and then seemed to reach a decision. When Aurora finally spoke, she directed her question at Maleficent. "Is it true that Prince Phillip and I are the only humans to have seen the Moors?"

"Yes, apart from the king." Maleficent replied with a snarl. Aurora squeezed her hand again, knowing that King Stephan was an unpleasant topic for her. Aurora faced Diaval once more.

"Would you please ask Balthazar and the other guards to bring the delegation to the flower throne? Make sure they don't have any weapons or armor. I don't want a single scrap of iron to ever cross into this land."

Diaval nodded.

"And if you see my Aunties on your way, could you please ask them to meet us at the throne with my crown as soon as possible?"

"Right away Aurora." Diaval jumped gracefully down from the tree and strode off.

"You left your crown with those idiots?" Maleficent's mouth twitched up into a pained smile.

"I just thought that if I gave them a task they deemed important, then they wouldn't follow me around constantly. Besides, they aren't so untrustworthy. They managed to raise me after all." Maleficent couldn't help rolling her eyes at that last statement, remembering all the times she and Diaval had intervened to keep Aurora safe and happy as a child.

"Do you mind that I asked Diaval to bring the humans into the Moors?"

Maleficent stared into Aurora's bright blue eyes for a long moment before replying, "I trust you."

Aurora leaned over and hugged the fairy who, still somewhat unaccustomed to physical displays of affection, stiffened for a moment before returning the hug.

"Maleficent, I need to ask you for a favor. Can you tell me who made my crown?"

"Yes. I did."

"Could you make me a necklace that matches the crown?"

"Of course." Maleficent looked at Aurora, an eyebrow raised in an unspoken question.

"The necklace is not for me." Aurora answered.

"Oh?"

"The necklace is for you." she finished. Maleficent continued to look at Aurora questioningly, but did not ask for further details. Reaching up with her nimble fingers, she plucked a leaf off the tree and held it in her hands. As Aurora watched, Maleficent's magic transformed the leaf. The stem lengthened and split in two before looping around and reconnecting to make a delicate gold chain. The leaf shrank to the size of a pendant and turned to gold as well. When the spell was finished, the pendant looked exactly like the gold leaves on Aurora's crown.

"It's perfect. Thank you." Aurora carefully took the necklace and latched it around her neck. "This way I don't have to carry it and worry about dropping it." she explained.

"It suits you." Maleficent said, turning her head to admire her work.

"It will suit you as well." Aurora smiled back. "I'm going to miss you terribly while I'm gone."

"I will miss you too Beastie." Maleficent reached out and tucked a blond curl behind Aurora's ear. "The human kingdom needs you, Aurora. You're the only one who can fix things."

"I suppose you're right. We did leave the castle in an awful state. It's only right that I help clean it up. I can't wait to get all those iron spikes removed. Makes the place look even more grim than it already is. I hate the thought of living there. It will never hold my heart the way the Moors do." Aurora looked out over the land she loved.

"I do not like the thought of you living there either," Maleficent said, "nor do I trust the humans. That is why I am sending Diaval with you in raven form. He will be my eyes and ears and will report to me as often as he can."

"I can take care of myself, Maleficent. You don't have to send Diaval with me. You will have no one to talk to if we both go." Aurora responded with concern.

"This is not up for discussion, Aurora. Diaval is going with you and I will hear no more about it." Maleficent insisted, a hard edge creeping into her voice. More softly she continued, "I need to know you're safe and that the people around you are loyal."

"You...you're afraid?" Aurora asked, incredulously.

"Yes, I am afraid. I'm afraid of losing you, afraid of what I will do if that happens. If anything were to happen to you, the curse I placed on you as a baby will look insignificant by comparison."

Aurora reached over and took Maleficent's hand and held it between her own.

"I promise I will be careful and I will make sure Diaval gets back to you often."

"Thank you." Maleficent smiled sadly. "We must hurry if we want to arrive at the throne ahead of the humans." She climbed onto a sturdy branch, stood, and snapped her wings open. Holding her hand out to Aurora, she smiled a rare, genuine smile and said "Come. Let's fly."


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Aurora and Maleficent landed at the flower throne, they were accosted by a trio of pixies.

"We have your crown dear! Oh you look dreadful! Your hair is an absolute mess. We must get you cleaned up before the humans arrive. You can't greet these people for the first time looking like you slept in a tree." Knotgrass fussed loudly while Thistlewit and Flittle nodded in agreement. Aurora and Maleficent exchanged amused glances while Aurora tried running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to make herself look presentable.

"Let us help you dear." Flittle said eagerly. "We can just use a little magic."

"No." Maleficent, who had stepped off to one side to give the other fairies some flying room, moved toward the group once more. "No, I'll do it." she stated.

She slowly circled Aurora, looking her up and down as though taking mental measurements, coming to a stop directly in front of the blonde. Her hand filled with golden light and she blew it towards Aurora. The light swirled around her, beginning at her head and traveling downward. Aurora gasped as the light touch of Maleficent's magic swept through her hair, taming knots and forming sleek curls that cascaded down her back like a golden waterfall. The sensation continued as the magic transformed the simple dress she wore into a gown fit for a queen.

When it was over, Aurora ran to the edge of the rock platform to examine her reflection in the calm water. Her hair was partially pulled back in a braid that wrapped from front to back on both sides, joining in the back in a jeweled clip. The braid itself was also studded with jewels that twinkled like stars in the bright morning dress was a simple but regal gown, a perfect match to Aurora's blue eyes, with delicate golden accents that resembled the gold leaves in her crown.

Maleficent watched Aurora admiring her handiwork with a mixture of sadness and pride. "You look like a queen." she stated softly.

Aurora turned and gaped at her. "It's beautiful, Maleficent. I don't know what to say."

"Consider it a going away present." Maleficent replied.

"Our little Aurora, so grown up." Thistlewit said beaming.

"Come along dear, let's get your crown on. I can hear Balthazar and the guards coming. They'll be here any minute." Knotgrass urged. "Put your crown on."

Aurora took her crown from the pixie and placed it carefully on her head. Maleficent simply stood back and stared at Aurora like she had never seen anything quite so beautiful in her life. Aurora turned toward Maleficent and asked "Well, what do you think?" but before Maleficent could answer, the guards and their human charges came within sight. Maleficent's gaze hardened with distrust and she stepped closer to Aurora until she was directly behind her right shoulder. She spread her wings and held them open. The effect was threatening and would also aid in a quick escape if she needed to take Aurora to safety.

"It will be ok." Aurora murmured over her shoulder, sensing the fairy's unease. "You said you trust me."

"I do trust you. It's them I don't trust." Maleficent snarled under her breath. Reluctantly she took a step back and closed her wings. They stood silently and watch the group approach the throne. Diaval lead the group and when he stepped onto the stone platform, he went over to stand next to Maleficent. Two of the tree guards moved to stand on either side of the throne, while the other two flanked the group of humans.

Aurora stepped forward and addressed the group. "Welcome to the Moors."

Many in the delegation who had been looking at their surroundings with awe, turned their attention to their new queen. It took no more than a split second for them all to realize who was standing with Aurora and their eyes widened with fear. Maleficent's frown deepened, but Aurora continued as though nothing had happened. "I hope your journey was comfortable. I believe you're here to take me to the castle?"

"Yes Your Majesty." replied a dark-haired man who had recovered himself more quickly than the others.

"What's your name?" Aurora asked.

"I am Samuel, ma'am. I became Captain of the Guards after King Stephan's men were...uh...injured." Samuel glanced nervously toward Maleficent whose face was unreadable.

"It's nice to meet you Samuel." Aurora smiled reassuringly at him.

Diaval stepped forward and said "Queen Aurora, I thought you should know, we checked everyone for iron at the border like you asked, but none of them carried a single weapon and their shields are made of wood."

"It's true Your Majesty. We brought nothing into the Moors that might injure the fair-folk." Samuel added.

Maleficent raised an eyebrow in surprise and studied Samuel with a reappraising stare. Aurora simply beamed. "Oh good! I'm glad to hear it. That means more to me than you can imagine. Now Samuel, I want to introduce you to the Captain of the Guards here in the Moors. His name is Balthazar."

Balthazar stepped forward from his place near the throne and inclined his head in greeting. Samuel returned the gesture nervously.

"I'm sure there will be times when you two will need to work together so I thought you should meet. He and the other guards will come with us to the castle along with your men." Aurora continued. "Before we go there is one more thing I need to do and you all need to see. As you noticed, this is Maleficent." Aurora gestured to the dark fairy.

"While I am in the human kingdom, she is the official Royal Guardian of the Moors. While I am in the Moors, she is my protector. She has my complete and unconditional trust." Aurora turned and looked into Maleficent's eyes and finished, "Always."

Samuel and the rest of the group stared at their young queen as though she had grown a second head, but they wisely said nothing. Maleficent flicked her eyes up from Aurora and pinned them all with a challenging look.

Aurora went on, "As a symbol of my trust and of the respect due to her based on her place in my kingdom, I give her this necklace. It is a symbol of her authority and our connection." Aurora reached back around her neck and unhooked the golden necklace.

She stretched out her arm to hand it to Maleficent but instead of simply taking it from her, Maleficent gracefully kneeled, swept her hair to one side, and looked up at Aurora expectantly. Aurora carefully place the necklace around her neck and smiled. Maleficent stood and returned the smile before stepping back again. Diaval elbowed her in the side repeatedly until she turned and snapped "WHAT?" Diaval said nothing but gave her a knowing look. Maleficent rolled her eyes and gave her attention back to Aurora who was addressing the humans again.

"...she is under my protection at all times, whether I'm in the Moors or not. Ok?"

The guards simply nodded in agreement and then, lead by Samuel's example, they all turned and bowed respectfully toward Maleficent. Maleficent could not have been more stunned. It was at that moment, she truly began to have hope that the human kingdom could be redeemed. 


	4. Chapter 4

"So I suppose we should get going then." Aurora said to the group. She turned to Maleficent with a 'that-didn't-go-so-badly' look on her face. Maleficent and Diaval simply smiled at her, both impressed with how she had handled her first audience as queen.

The group of humans and the Moor guards turned to leave. Samuel waited for Aurora to join the group, while Maleficent, Diaval, and the pixies brought up the rear. They walked toward the border in silence for a long time before Aurora spoke to Samuel. "If you don't mind me asking, what condition is the castle in?"

Samuel shot a glance at Maleficent before responding "To be honest Your Majesty, it's not good. There was no structural damage but there are a lot of repairs to make and rubble to remove. The castle staff got a start on it though before we left. I imagine they had to stop temporarily for the king's funeral, but I expect things should be much improved by the time we arrive."

"You left before the king's funeral?" Aurora asked, curious.

"Yes. Though I was working my way up through the ranks of his guards, I held no love for King Stephan. I thought retrieving our new queen would be a better use of my time."

"My father was not a very good king. I hope I can do better." Aurora responded sadly.

"I don't like to speak ill of the dead," Samuel continued, "but my brother was an iron-worker. He and his fellow workers were pushed to exhaustion by the King and his quest for revenge. Many men died as a result of accidents; accidents that would never have happened if they hadn't been pushed so hard. My brother was one of them. No, I have no love for the king and truthfully, I am looking forward to a fresh start."

Samuel stopped walking, suddenly looking horrified. "I can't believe I just said all those things. Please forgive my forwardness Your Majesty. I don't know what came over me."

Aurora simply laughed, a musical sound that floated over the group and into the trees. "It's this place, it has that effect on people. The Moors are magic." She frowned slightly before going on "I'm sorry about your brother. That must have been terrible. Thanks you for telling me."

Samuel simply nodded and sped up to join his men. Maleficent fell into step next to Aurora who was still frowning. "There is so much to fix. I don't know where to start." she worried.

Maleficent looked up at Samuel, who was now being interrogated by the three pixies with a good-natured smile on his face. "I think you've already started." she responded.

Aurora grinned up at the fairy. "I guess I have." She reached out and intertwined her fingers with Maleficent's. Neither let go of the other until they reached the border.


	5. Chapter 5

On the edge of the Moors, it was time to say goodbye. The human soldiers waited at the base of a border stone along with Diaval, Blathazar, and the other Moor guards. Samuel was telling everyone the plan for getting back to the castle. Maleficent and Aurora walked away from the group to say their goodbyes in private.

"I don't know what to say. There are so many things I wanted to tell you but now…" Aurora trailed off, her eyes filling with tears. "You've been with me my whole life. How am I going to do this without you?"

Maleficent reached up and gently brushed the tears off Aurora's cheeks, tears threatening to spill down her own face. "It's time to grow your own wings now Beastie." She held Aurora's face and stared at her, as though desperately trying to memorize every detail.

"I don't know when I'll be able to come back."

"I know."

Aurora launched herself into Maleficent's arms and buried her face into the fairy's shoulder. Maleficent held her tightly, wrapping her wings around them both. She rested her cheek on top of Aurora's head and spoke softly into the blonde curls. "I'll miss you every day you're gone. If you need me, send word through Diaval." Aurora nodded, not looking up. She had no intention of summoning Maleficent to the castle if it could be at all helped. She didn't want to put her through the pain. Aurora simply squeezed her arms more tightly around Maleficent's waist. They would have stood there indefinitely had Diaval not cleared his throat loudly. Maleficent shot him a pointed glare, but when she saw the look of understanding on his face, she had to look away.

"It's time Aurora." he said gently. Aurora, still cocooned in Maleficent's wings, took several deep steadying breaths and slowly unwrapped herself from around the fairy's torso. Samuel approached until he stood next to Diaval while the rest of the men shuffled awkwardly in the background. Aurora took one last desperate look at the green shimmering eyes before turning to face Diaval.

"I suppose I should give you a hug too, Diaval."

Diaval smiled and replied, "I suppose you should." before wrapping Aurora in a big hug of his own. Samuel frowned in confusion.

"I thought Diaval was joining us on the journey home. Did I misunderstand this?"

Maleficent stepped forward and spoke in a voice, raspy with emotion. "He is going with you. He will be with Aurora at all times." She gracefully waved a hand and Diaval turned from man to raven in a puff of golden magic. Samuel and his men gaped in surprise while Diaval settled comfortably on Aurora's shoulder. She reached up and stroked the feathers on his head.

Samuel, still trying to recover from his shock, started to lead Aurora back to her group of escorts when Maleficent spoke again. "Keep her safe."

He nodded at her. "I will. That's a promise."

Maleficent continued, "I am sorry about your brother. I…" she struggled to find words.

Samuel interrupted her. "I don't blame you. As far as I'm concerned, the king was the monster. Not you." He gave Maleficent a tight smile, bowed his head briefly, and offered an arm to Aurora. As they walked away, she looked back to the fairy and called out "Goodbye Maleficent." Maleficent stood and watched as the group moved out, away from the edge of the Moors and back toward the castle. She watched until they were long out of sight.

"Goodbye Beastie." Maleficent whispered before launching herself into the air. She returned to her tree in the Moors, completely alone for the first time in more than sixteen years. 


	6. Chapter 6

Time, as it does, marched on. Aurora settled in to the castle as best she could with the pain of leaving Maleficent and the stress of ruling a kingdom hanging over her. Diaval was a comforting presence; her only link to the Moors and her beloved fairy. Every couple of days he would take off and make his report to Maleficent, who had taken to wandering the Moors to fill the empty hours. Aurora would send little messages to her through Diaval that she would reply to. In this way, their loneliness was somewhat lessened.

Weeks stretched into months and Aurora found herself with more than enough work to fill all the hours of the day. Construction on the castle continued until every last scrap of iron that King Stephan had installed to keep Maleficent out, was removed. As a way to generate revenue for her kingdom, Aurora ordered the iron workers to melt down and sell all the excess to neighboring kingdoms. She then set them to work experimenting with different metals that might replace iron in their weapons and building materials, a metal that would allow residents of the Moors to interact with humans without risk of being burned.

In addition to revamping the castle, Aurora also went to work on a series of laws and regulations concerning the Moors. She made arrangements with Balthazar and Samuel that several members of the Moor guards would be at the castle at all time. Not only did this allow people in and around the castle a chance to adjust to life with with the fair-folk, but they were also a reminder to outsiders that Aurora ruled both lands.

With the help of Samuel and Prince Phillip, who had both quickly become trusted confidants, Aurora decreed that residents of the Moors could come and go in the human lands as they pleased. Humans would also be allowed into the Moors, but any citizen wishing to go would have to have an audience with Aurora. If they met with her approval, messengers would send a petition of Maleficent, who had the final say in the matter. Trespassers and poachers in the Moors were dealt with swiftly and harshly.

At first. there was very little mixing. Many humans were still terrified of the Moors and the fair-folk were perfectly content to stay put. However, as the months turned to years, the creatures of the Moors ventured beyond their safe border more and more often and the people they met welcomed them with awe and wonder.

There was one resident of the Moors who had not left the safety of the magical land. Maleficent spent most of her days as she had before the curse. As the royal guardian of the Moors, she was charged with keeping the land and its creatures safe. She frequently checked for poachers and trespassers, made sure that the borders between the Moors and other kingdoms stayed peaceful, and reported all she saw back to Aurora and the palace guards through regular messengers.

During the day, Maleficent could almost convince herself that she was fine, that she wasn't lonely and in many ways this was true. The Moorland creatures, who had been so afraid of Maleficent's darkness, had once again embraced her as their own. At night however, Maleficent's thoughts always turned to Aurora. She wondered how Aurora was and what she might be doing. She missed her blonde princess more than she thought possible. She missed her sweet smile and understanding eyes, but more than that she missed having someone around that truly knew her; that had seen her at her worst and loved her anyway.

Miles away, under the same night sky, Aurora dreamed of wings and bright green eyes and tree hammocks. She woke, as she always did, with an ache in her chest and a sadness that never quite went away.


End file.
